The geriatric depression scale and the timed up and go test predict fear of falling in community-dwelling elderly women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Fear of falling is a common and potentially disabling problem among older adults. However, little is known about this condition in older adults with diabetes mellitus. The aims of this study were to investigate the impact of the fear of falling on clinical, functional and gait variables in older women with type 2 diabetes and to identify which variables could predict the fear of falling in this population.

Adherence of older women with strength training and aerobic exercise.

Background: Participation of older people in a program of regular exercise is an effective strategy to minimize the physical decline associated with age. The purpose of this study was to assess adherence rates in older women enrolled in two different exercise programs (one aerobic exercise and one strength training) and identify any associated clinical or functional factors.

Methods: This was an exploratory observational study in a sample of 231 elderly women of mean age 70.

Interaction between cytokine gene polymorphisms and the effect of physical exercise on clinical and inflammatory parameters in older women: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Aging is associated with chronic low-grade inflammatory activity with an elevation of cytokine levels. An association between regular physical activity and reduction of blood levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines is demonstrated in the literature pointing to an anti-inflammatory effect related to exercise. However, there is no consensus regarding which type of exercise and which parameters are the most appropriate to influence inflammatory markers.

Dynamics of phenanthrenequinone on carbon nano-onion surfaces probed by quasielastic neutron scattering.

We used quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) to study the dynamics of phenanthrenequinone (PQ) on the surface of onion-like carbon (OLC), or so-called carbon onions, as a function of surface coverage and temperature. For both the high- and low-coverage samples, we observed two diffusion processes; a faster process and nearly an order of magnitude slower process. On the high-coverage surface, the slow diffusion process is of long-range translational character, whereas the fast diffusion process is spatially localized on the length scale of ∼4.

Functional mobility and executive function in elderly diabetics and non-diabetics.

Background: Elderly diabetics tend to show cognitive deficits related to more complex processes such as the executive function, which can lead to a greater risk of falls.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to compare the functional mobility, the risk of falls and the executive function among elderly with and without type 2 diabetes, and to check the correlation between these variables.

Methods: Forty community elderly participated in the study and were divided into two groups: G1 elderly with type 2 diabetes and G2 elderly without diabetes, being the variables age, body mass index and gender similar between the groups.

Assessment of plantar pressure and balance in patients with diabetes.

Introduction: Patients with diabetes for more than 10 years may have an increase in peak plantar pressure, considerable postural oscillation, balance deficit, alterations in gait pattern and an increased risk of falls. The aim of the present study was to assess the correlation between plantar pressure distribution and balance in patients with diabetes using a pressure platform (Footwork).

Material And Methods: The study was carried out at the Human Movement Clinic of the Centro Universitário de Belo Horizonte (Brazil).